Physicist Jojo Rahamim

Jojo Rahamim is a doctoral researcher in the Department of Physics at Oxford University where he is working on building a quantum computer. Jojo also has experience with particle physics and rocket science and you'll hear about how nanofibers are made and how rocket thrusters work. We discuss nuclear power, ethics in science, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and even time travel. Jojo shares stories of travelling across India in a rickshaw rally, attending the Burning Man festival, and performing in a children's entertainment troupe. He also explains the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah.

Water security Kenya, Johanna Koehler

Johanna Koehler is a doctoral researcher at Oxford University specialising in decentralisation and water security in Kenya. Johanna recently returned from Kenya and she shares what it's like on the ground in local communities as well as her interactions at the governance and policy levels. We also discuss Johanna's earlier field work on the border of South and North Korea which was inspired by her family's experience being separated between East and West Germany. Johanna is a Clarendon Scholar with the School of Geography and the Environment and she works on the Water Programme at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford.

Classicist Dylan James

Dylan James is a Clarendon Scholar of Ancient History in the Classics Faculty at Oxford University who specialises in Greek and Roman historiography. We discuss his intellectual development from being fascinated in ancient history and classics as a child to learning Latin and Greek languages as a young man so he could study classical texts for his honours, masters, and now doctoral research. Dylan is somewhat of an all-rounder and we also chat about his other pursuits in music, sport, comedy, and politics.

Trump’s win, Mitchell Robertson

Post-election analysis including a breakdown of voter demographics with Mitchell Robertson from Oxford University. Mitchell explains who voted for Donald Trump in terms of sex, age, race, education, and geography and where Hillary Clinton fell short. We also discuss the House and Senate results and the prospects for Trump pursuing his policies. Mitchell is a doctoral candidate associated with the Rothermere American Institute and he has a Master of Studies in United States History from Oxford University.

Trump’s appeal and thoughts on his presidency

Since Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election I've received several messages from friends asking how this could have happened. Here is a little of my conversation with Gabriel Delaney from before the election in which he gives a good overview of how support for Trump is a push back against political correctness and elite establishment politics in America and a reflection of white nationalism by a portion of the population.

A Republican perspective, Ben Daus-Haberle

Ben Daus-Haberle is co-president of the Oxford chapter of Republicans Overseas UK. Ben hails from Massachusetts where he was raised as a Democrat. He worked for John Kerry after high school and campaigned for Obama in 2008 before having an intellectual and ideological conversion to Republicanism whilst studying at Yale University. On the eve of the U.S. presidential election, Ben shares what being Republican means to him as well as his thoughts on Donald Trump and the future of the Republican Party.

US presidential election, Gabriel A. Delaney

US presidential election guide with Gabriel Delaney who was a field organiser for the Obama campaign in 2012. Gabriel is currently a candidate for an MPhil in Politics (Comparative Government) at the University of Oxford with a research interest in political narratives. We discuss the narratives of the Clinton and Trump campaigns and Gabriel explains the electoral map and what is needed by each candidate to win. He also shares insights about strategies in the final days before the election from his experience of campaigning in Pennsylvania.

Paris climate agreement, Professor Myles Allen

Oxford climate scientist Professor Myles Allen explains the Paris agreement on the day it comes into force. Professor Allen leads the Climate Research Programme at the Environmental Change Institute in the School of Geography and the Environment at the University of Oxford where he also heads the Climate Dynamics Group in the Department of Physics.

WOAE Mailbox #1

Answering your correspondence and comments with audio from previous episodes. Topics include media coverage of funerals, the gentrification of Austin, Dolly Parton, the Black National Anthem, film remakes, Elvis, and pursuing your childhood dreams. Features music by Radford Ellis from his album Lonely Blue Boy.

Medical overdiagnosis, Dr Jack O’Sullivan

Jack O'Sullivan is a medical doctor who researches overdiagnosis. He explains concerns about unnecessary tests detecting cancers which might never develop into serious health problems for individuals in their lifetimes. We also discuss the invention of medical conditions for commercial pharmaceutical purposes, among other topics. Jack is a Clarendon Scholar with the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford University.

Archaeological science, Jaime Swift

Jaime Swift is a biological and forensic anthropologist and archaeologist. She is a Clarendon Scholar at Oxford University and a doctoral candidate in Archaeological Science. Jaime studied criminology and was a federal agent with the Australian Federal Police. She also previously spent a year on the professional tennis circuit. We discuss Jaime's career as well as her impressive archaeological research findings.

Bisexuality, gender, race, Carolyn Davis, Austin

Carolyn Davis is co-host of the podcast Snatched! and a PhD student at the University of Texas. One of the few black people in her grad program, Carolyn discusses diversity issues in Austin as well national racial injustices with policing and the prison system. Carolyn shares personal insights as a queer bisexual woman. We also discuss her research of 18th century transatlantic literature and the class she teaches about fandom.

Gender identity, Jess O’Rear, Austin

This week is dedicated to an explanation of gender identity terminologies and concepts which Jess explains both from an academic perspective and from his personal experience transitioning from being assigned female at birth to identifying as a genderqueer transgender man. Jess O’Rear is a PhD student at the University of Texas in Austin.

Elvis tribute, Radford Ellis, Memphis

Radford Ellis is a Memphis singer known for his Elvis tribute on Beale Street. Radford knew Elvis for many years from care-taking at Graceland, initially cutting the yard. He was a confidant to Elvis, sometimes sitting on the roof together talking all night. Radford was also a body-double decoy for Elvis after concerts a few times. A musician in his own right, Radford was so often compared with Elvis that he was compelled to perform his songs. Music in this episode is used courtesy of Radford Ellis.

Stax soul music, Tim Sampson, Memphis

Tim Sampson is communications director for the Soulsville Foundation which runs the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the Stax Music Academy, and the Soulsville Charter School in Memphis. We discuss the history of Stax Records including artists Booker T. Jones, Otis Redding, Jean Knight, the Staple Singers, and Isaac Hayes as well as the establishment and operation of Soulsville which Tim has been involved with since day one.

Independent musician Miss Joyce, Memphis

Miss Joyce is a Memphis soul/R&B singer with an inspirational story. Joyce Howard-Hemans was a preacher’s kid who found a secular spirituality and left home at fourteen to carve out her own place in the world. She’s faced hardships including a period of homelessness and losing multiple friends to gang violence and she’s channelled her experiences into her music and songwriting.

Country music history, Professor Don Cusic, Nashville

Don Cusic is Curb Professor of Music Industry History at Belmont University in Nashville. He's been in the music business for 45 years as a journalist, record producer, artist manager and songwriter. Don explains the development of the Nashville Sound and discusses country stars Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Roger Miller, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban and others and what it was like working with Roy Orbison at Monument Records.

Talk radio, Lotta Haegg

Lotta Haegg is a talk-radio producer living in London. We discuss what it’s like being a radio producer and Lotta tells of her first radio shifts during major news events. Lotta also shares stories from her years growing up in regional Australia and Sweden and speaks of her experience as a step mum to teenagers.

Film aesthetics, Davis Rivera

Davis Rivera is an Oxford scholar specialising in Film Aesthetics. He wrote his dissertation about the Hungarian director Béla Tarr. Davis is originally from Port Arthur, Texas. He fields my questions about film makers and actors, the state of Texas and Southern rap. Among it we discuss two of Davis' favourite artists Warren Beatty and Kanye West.